An Age Old Fandom Cliché
by ChudleyCanons
Summary: This is something I did out of boredom and I'd really love to know what you think because I think it's my worst yet. Merlin, Arthur and a love potion. Oh and some poor poetry attempts from Arthur. What more needs saying? MA fluff. I own nothing.


Merlin had done a number of stupid things in his time but giving Arthur a love potion was perhaps the stupidest of them all.

Time after time Gaius had warned him to read the labels on all the vials stacked on the shelves and yet Merlin had to have grabbed the nearest 'short bottle with the red liquid in' to hand as he left for Arthur's chambers in a hurry. Of course, being the only bottle with no label, Merlin had no idea that this was far from Arthur's pain-relief draught. That was until Arthur drank it.

For a moment his eyes seemed to become unfocussed and a small goldish glow seemed to weave around his head, following an intricate dance across the room to circle Merlin, before returning to Arthur's heart. Arthur himself seemed oblivious to this and as soon as he managed to regain his senses, he appeared unable to tear his gaze away from Merlin.

Merlin's heart sank. He had read about this in one of Gaius's books though sadly had not concentrated for long enough to know how to cure it. This was a love potion and, presumably because he was the first one Arthur saw, Merlin was going to be the one with a love struck Prince hounding him day and night.

After a week, Merlin was ready to give up and tell Gaius. Arthur had tried to kiss Merlin approximately once a minute and Merlin had had to resort to faking illness. He was also beginning to worry that Uther was getting suspicious as Arthur had taken to staring off into space during meetings and his method of training his knights had become positively lackadaisical, unless Merlin was on the scene; at which point the Crown Prince sprang into action and fought so enthusiastically that he often did himself more harm than any of his knights. What surprised Merlin the most however, was how much he missed the old Arthur. The prat hadn't called him an idiot once all week and, although he would never admit it to anyone, he missed the insult that, over the months, had become more of an endearment than an offence.

It was on the seventh day however, that Merlin found a rose on his pillow, along with an incredibly poor attempt at poetry. This had gone far enough. So many times over the past week, Merlin had longed to just kiss the Prince; to give in and pretend Arthur could really be in love with him. Hearing Arthur say the words he had always wanted to share with him, tore him apart knowing they were not meant. So it was with great trepidation and a heavy heart that Merlin decided to confess to Gaius.

Perhaps it was Merlin's wretchedly defeated expression that caused Gaius to stop what he was doing and beckon Merlin to sit before he even had to ask.

"I've done something stupid"

Gaius's rapidly ascending eyebrow indicated to Merlin that he should continue before the sarcastic comment followed,

"I gave Arthur a love potion-" Merlin blurted "-it was accidental! I confused the bottles…..and well….the bottle had red liquid like you said…but now he is all….in love with someone and stuff and…" Merlin sighed dejectedly "I don't know how to cure it."

"Oh _Merlin."_ Gaius said with a groan "How many _times_ have I _told_ you-"

"I know!" snapped Merlin. He regretted his harsh tone the moment he saw Gaius's hurt expression and mumbled "Sorry. I know I made a mistake."

Gaius studied Merlin's downcast expression and couldn't help but notice the dark circles under his eyes or the near-white skin which was pale even by Merlin's standards. The nature of the potion Merlin had given Arthur was such that he was surprised that the Prince had reacted to it at all. He had had no idea that Arthur had been harbouring feelings for anyone. Hopefully, thought Gaius doubtfully, the only cure would, in this instance, work.

"The potion is not made to recreate love, Merlin. No potion could do that." Spoke Gaius finally, causing Merlin to look up from where he was studying the table very intently. The physician continued upon seeing the warlock's puzzled expression, "It can only bring to light a love that already exists."

"What do you mean?"

"I _mean_, Arthur does not falsely believe himself to be in love with anyone. The feelings he is showing are entirely his own. All the potion does is force the drinker to be incredibly unsubtle and unable to keep their love hidden. It can only be stopped by a kiss from that person but the reason, _Merlin, _that this is so dangerous is that it will only work if those feelings are returned."

Merlin seemed to be frozen in shock, his mouth hanging open and his eyes wide. Then, taking Gaius quite by surprise he sprung up from his chair, almost unbalancing it and replied, in a voice much higher than normal,

"They are."

Gaius looked relieved as his previously tense shoulders and frowning eyes relaxed.

"Why? Who is it that Arthur has been so enamoured with?"

Merlin was already at the door, his hand shaking on the handle, and he almost carried on out of the room but he knew he owed Gaius the explanation.

"Me."

And he was gone; smile wide, eyes happy and heart hammering.

When Merlin flung open Arthur's door, the Prince stood hurriedly from his desk – which Merlin hoped did not mean he was trying to write anymore love poetry because Merlin was beginning to pine for the old Arthur.

Without giving Arthur a chance to say anything cheesy about the ocean, Merlin strode forwards, framed Arthur's confused and heart-wrenchingly hopeful face with his hands and kissed him.

He felt rather than saw the same golden thread of light entwine itself around them both before fading gently until it was gone completely. Merlin grinned into the kiss when he realised Arthur was still gripping him tightly.

Finally Merlin pulled away. He opened his eyes to see Arthur breathing heavily, his eyes still shut.

"Is it you?" Merlin breathed, "Are you back?"

Arthur opened his eyes at that and Merlin could see from his classic 'Pendragon' expression that this was, in fact, _his_ Arthur.

"What? Of course it is me, you _idiot, _who else would it be?"

The exasperation that Merlin assumed was meant to be in the name was not there. The affection and tenderness in his voice would have made Merlin wonder if it really was him, had it not been for the familiarity of the insult. Merlin's face spilt into a wide grin.

"I did it! You're back! The kiss worked!"

It was as if a dark cloud descended upon the room, such was Arthur's change of expression. Where there had been a shocked happiness but a moment before, now lay indignation and, unless Merlin was mistaken, hurt.

"What?"

"A week ago I accidentally gave you the wrong potion. It basically made you reveal your true love, although I didn't know that is what it was going to do of course, and it made you unable to hide your feelings so, well, your father was getting suspicious and the only way to break the spell was for the person you had been so ardent about to kiss you! So I – "

"So you had to break the spell to get yourself out of trouble."

Arthur's tone was cold and almost emotionless.

"What? No, Arthur – "

"Get. Out."

"Arthur – "

"GET. OUT."

When Merlin's jaw set stubbornly and he raised his chin in a silent refusal, Arthur's hurt seemed to turn completely into anger.

"I bet you've all had a right laugh this week haven't you? 'Oh look at poor Arthur, besotted with his manservant! Oh, _I know, _let's make him believe he stands a chance– "

"Arthur! It wasn't – "

" – Oh sorry, Merlin, you're going to have to kiss him but do make sure to tell us just how pathetically _heartbroken_ he looks when you tell him he can't have you – "

"ARTHUR!"

The Prince was breathing heavily by this time, angry tears collecting in his darkened eyes and with every sentence the Prince had spoken, the volume seemed to have increased.

"Arthur, the only way the kiss would've worked was if I had returned your feelings! And if you would have let me finish earlier I could have _told_ you that before you accused me of doing something that if you really loved me you'd _know_ that I would never do!"

Arthur's eyes widened as he took in the words and for a moment Merlin worried he had stopped breathing altogether. He looked unsure about whether to believe what he had heard, so Merlin stepped forward slowly, encouraged by the fact that Arthur did not back away or break eye contact. When he was close enough to see each individual freckle on Arthur's nose, he spoke again.

"I didn't tell anyone else Arthur, and I _definitely_ wouldn't – "

"I know. It's just…you've been refusing me all week."

Merlin grinned.

"No. I've been refusing the man who wrote me _awful_ love poetry."

Arthur paled slightly and grimaced apologetically. Merlin ignored his silent plea for him to drop the subject and continued in a very high and girly voice,

"_My love for you is like the sea,_

_I feel as though it's drowning me…"_

Arthur let out a groan and buried his face in Merlin's shoulder,

"I did _not_ write that…"

And Merlin laughed. It was a laugh so loud and happy that he thought it would seep out of him in waves of gold and smother him in total joy. And soon Arthur was laughing too, shaking giggles (though he would later deny that word) into Merlin's shoulder, his arms gripping Merlin's waist while the dark-haired man ran his long fingers through his hair.

Finally Arthur looked up, wiping tears of laughter from his eyes and rested their foreheads together. Both still grinning, Arthur murmured,

"So?"

Merlin ran a thumb across Arthur's cheek, which made the Prince shiver, as he replied softly,

"So."

This time it was Arthur who initiated the kiss – trying to pour everything he felt into it; Merlin kissing back with equal enthusiasm. And later, as Arthur was almost asleep; wrapped around his new lover and oblivious to the smirk slowly creeping onto Merlin's previously sleepy and serene face; the silence was broken.

"Arthur?"

"Mmmm?"

Merlin paused and his smirk turned into a wide grin.

"I '_love you more than Morgana loves brushing her hair' _too."


End file.
